Earth-working machines, such as, for example, excavators, wheel loaders, hydraulic mining shovels, cable shovels, bucket wheels, bulldozers, and draglines, are generally used for digging or ripping into the earth or rock and/or moving loosened work material from one place to another at a worksite. These earth-working machines include various earth-working implements, such as a bucket or a blade, for excavating or moving the work material. These implements can be subjected to extreme wear from the abrasion and impacts experienced during the earth-working applications.
To protect these implements against wear, and thereby prolong the useful life of the implements, various ground engaging tools, such as teeth, edge protectors, and other wear members, can be provided to the earth-working implements in the areas where the most damaging abrasions and impacts occur. These ground engaging tools are removably attached to the implements using customized retainer systems, so that worn or damaged ground engaging tools can be readily removed and replaced with new ground engaging tools.
Many retainer systems have been proposed and used for removably attaching various ground engaging tools to earth-working implements. One example of such retainer systems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,640,684 to Adamic et al. The disclosed retainer system includes a releasable locking assembly for attaching a wear member to a support structure. The wear member includes at least one pin-retainer-receiving opening in one side. The opening is tapered, being narrower at its outer surface and wider at its inner surface. The support structure includes at least one pin receiving recess which generally aligns with the opening in the wear member when the wear member and the support structure are operatively coupled. A pin retainer that is frustoconically shaped and threaded internally is inserted into the opening in the wear member. The wear member is slidably mounted onto the support structure. The pin that is externally threaded is screwed into the pin retainer by the application of torque force from a standard ratchet tool. The pin extends through the wear member and into the recess in the support structure to lock the wear member to the support structure. The pin may be released using a ratchet tool and removed from the pin retainer. The wear member may then be removed from the support structure.
Another example of a retainer system for removably attaching various ground engaging tools to earth-working implements is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,762,015 to Smith et al. The retainer system includes a rotating lock having a slot for receiving a post of an adapter mounted to or part of a work tool. When the lock is rotated, the entrance to the slot is blocked and the post cannot slide out of the slot.
Many problems and/or disadvantages still exist with these known retainer systems. Various embodiments of the present disclosure may solve one or more of the problems and/or disadvantages.